Video-tracking of sparse Geiger-mode data

1. A detection and ranging system comprising: a receiver including a focal plane array arranged to receive scattered laser pulses; and a processor arranged to: generate a video filter array, the video filter array including a set of estimated velocity pixel coordinate components arranged in a linear data set while representing a plurality of two-dimensional arrays associated with a plurality of frames, each of the plurality of two-dimensional arrays having dimensions equal to dimensions of the focal plane array of the receiver, generate a plurality of detected photo events based on the received scattered laser pulses, filter the plurality of detected photo events by linearly indexing each of the plurality of detected photo events based on, for each detected photo event, a vertical position in the focal plane array, a horizontal position in the focal plane array, a frame number, and the dimensions of the focal-plane array, map each detected photo event to the set of estimated velocity pixel coordinate components based on a time between receiving the scattered laser pulses and the focal-plane array vertical and horizontal positions of each of the detected photo event, and generate a motion-compensated image associated with the mapped plurality of detected photo events in a filtered two-dimensional array having dimensions equal to the dimensions of the focal plane array.

2. The detection and ranging system of claim 1, wherein the processor generates the video filter array before receiving the scattered laser pulses.

3. The detection and ranging system of claim 2, wherein the processor generates the filter array before generating the plurality of detected photo events.

4. The detection and ranging system of claim 1 further comprising a laser transmitter arranged to emit laser pulses toward a target, the scattered laser pulses corresponding to the emitted laser pulses.

5. The detection and ranging system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further arranged to associate the received scattered laser pulses with a frame, a time bin, and a pixel.

6. The detection and ranging system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of detected photo events includes one detection per pixel per frame.

7. The detection and ranging system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of video data entries associated with the plurality of the detected photo events are stored in a memory using a sparse binary representation.

8. The detection and ranging system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of detected photo events are Geiger-mode Avalanche Photodiode video data events.

9. The detection and ranging system of claim 1, wherein the video filter array is stored in a memory.

10. The detection and ranging system of claim 1, wherein the processor implements a Sparse Video Tracker (SVT) arranged to perform 4D tracking (x, y, {dot over (x)}, {dot over (y)}) across the focal plane array of the receiver.

11. A method for detection and ranging comprising: receiving scattered laser pulses via a receiver including a focal plane array; generating a video filter array, the video filter array including a set of estimated velocity pixel coordinate components arranged in a linear data set while representing a plurality of two-dimension arrays associated with a plurality of frames, each of the plurality of two-dimensional arrays having dimensions equal to dimensions of the focal plane array of the receiver; generating a plurality of detected photo events based on the received scattered laser pulses; filtering the plurality of detected photo events by linearly indexing each of the plurality of detected photo events based on, for each detected photo event, a vertical position in the focal plane array, a horizontal position in the focal plane array, a frame number, and the dimensions of the focal-plane array; mapping each detected photo events to the set of estimated velocity pixel coordinate components based on a time between receiving the scattered laser pulses and the focal-plane array vertical and horizontal positions of each of the detected photo events; and generating a motion-compensated image associated with the mapped plurality of detected photo events in a filtered two-dimensional array having dimensions equal to the dimensions of the focal plane array.

12. The method for detection and ranging of claim 11, wherein generating the video filter array occurs before receiving scattered laser pulses.

13. The method for detection and ranging of claim 12, wherein generating the video filter array occurs before generating the plurality of detected photo events.

14. The method for detection and ranging of claim 11 further comprising emitting laser pulses toward a target, the scattered laser pulses corresponding to the emitted laser pulses.

15. The method for detection and ranging of claim 11 further comprising associating the received scattered laser pulses with a frame, time bin, and a pixel.

16. The method for detection and ranging of claim 11 further comprising storing the detected photo events in a memory.

17. The method for detection and ranging of claim 11 further comprising implementing a Sparse Video Tracker (SVT) arranged to perform 4D tracking (x, y, {dot over (x)}, {dot over (y)}) across the focal plane array of the receiver.

18. A sparse video tracking system comprising: a pre-processor module configured to: generate a video filter array, the video filter array including a set of estimated velocity pixel coordinate components arranged in a linear data set while representing a plurality of two-dimension arrays associated with a plurality of frames, each of the plurality of two-dimensional arrays having dimensions equal to dimensions of the focal plane array of the receiver, and a processor module configured to: receive scattered laser pulses from a LADAR receiver, generate a plurality of detected photo events based on the scattered laser pulses, filter the plurality of detected photo events by linearly indexing each of the plurality of detected photo events based on, for each detected photo event, a vertical position in the focal plane array, a horizontal position in the focal plane array, a frame number, and the dimensions of the focal-plane array, map each detected photo events to the set of estimated velocity pixel coordinate components based on a time between receiving the scattered laser pulses and the focal-plane array vertical and horizontal positions of each of the detected photo events, and generate a motion-compensated image associated with the mapped plurality of detected photo events in a filtered two-dimensional array having dimensions equal to the dimensions of the focal plane array.

19. The sparse video tracking system of claim 18, wherein pre-processor module generates the video filter array before the processor module receives the scattered laser pulses.

20. The sparse video tracking system of claim 19, wherein the pre-processor module generates the filter array before the processor module generates the plurality of detected photo events.